歐洲委員會運輸交通部近期提議為歐盟各國所有汽車安裝限速器，將汽車時速限定在70英里（相當于112.6公里）以內，以減少因道路交通事故死亡的人數。據悉，該提議中的限速器會通過衛星技術或在車內安裝速度檢測攝像頭來掌握車輛速度，如果駕駛者有超速行為，限速器會對其發出警告，若駕駛者未做出減速操作，則系統會自動控制剎車將速度降至限定范圍內。歐洲每年有3萬人死于道路交通事故。歐洲委員會一位發言人表示，交通部門正就已在重型貨車和公交車上使用的限速技術征詢有關專家，會在不久后公布相關文件。

All cars could be fitted with speed limiters under new EU proposals

All cars could be fitted with devices that stop them going over 70mph, under new EU road safety measures which aim to cut deaths from road accidents by a third.

Under the proposals new cars would be fitted with cameras that could read road speed limit signs and automatically apply the brakes when this is exceeded.

Patrick McLoughlin, the Transport Secretary, is said to be opposed to the plans, which could also mean existing cars are sent to garages to be fitted with the speed limiters, preventing them from going over 70mph.

The new measures have been announced by the European Commission’s Mobility and Transport Department as a measure to reduce the 30,000 people who die on the roads in Europe every year.

A Government source told the Mail on Sunday Mr McLoughlin had instructed officials to block the move because they ‘violated’ motorists’ freedom. They said: “This has Big Brother written all over it and is exactly the sort of thing that gets people's backs up about Brussels.

“The Commission wanted his views ahead of plans to publish the proposals this autumn. He made it very clear what those views were.”

The source claimed one of the reasons he was against the Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) scheme is that the UK has a better road safety record than other European countries – with 1,754 people dying in road accidents last year compared to 3,657 in Germany.

The scheme would work either using satellites, which would communicate limits to cars automatically, or using cameras to read road signs. Drivers can be given a warning of the speed limit, or their speed could be controlled automatically under the new measures.

A spokesman for the European Commission said: “There is a currently consultation focusing on speed-limiting technology already fitted to HGVs and buses.

“Taking account of the results, the Commission will publish in the autumn a document by its technical experts which will no doubt refer to ISA among many other things.”

(Source: Telegraph.co.uk)

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